


Against All Reason

by cyberpunk2183



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Character(s) of Color, Deaf Character, F/F, I Don't Even Know, Idiots in Love, Kissing, Lesbian Character, Love, Mild Language, Original Character(s), Sign Language, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 01:24:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17992175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyberpunk2183/pseuds/cyberpunk2183
Summary: Lord Viren betrays General Amaya at the Breach and nearly kills her. One Sunfire elf finds her dying on a ledge. Will they dare to forge a new path?





	1. A Startling Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> It’s on the mountains of Xadia, desperately tracking Prince Callum, that General Amaya faces off against the Dark Lord. She knows of his betrayal thanks to a well received crow from now King Ezran.
> 
> But nothing prepared her for the battle with him. As usual, she fights with ferocity and skill. She would have won due to strength of arms even against his powerful dark magic, but no, he has a more powerful ally now. One she could not easily defeat: Aaravos.
> 
> He blasts her off the mountain side and she falls a height that would have killed anyone, but what he did not see is that she hits a ledge hidden from sight.
> 
> She groans, feeling shattered ribs and bones. Rolling over onto her back and shutting her eyes, she lets the darkness sweep over her.

Janai

I have every intention of killing the human that escaped me twice already. She is in fact one of the most renown generals of the Katolis army.

The woman is light skinned with a scar on her cheek, battered, and slowly dying beneath me. My Sun-forged blade hovers over her ready to plunge into her heart and end her suffering. My troop stands behind me, quite satisfied with my decision to kill the General.

But things are different now, the winds of change have swept through the lands. The dragon egg, or better the dragon prince, has been returned and Lord Viren has now betrayed one of his most powerful generals. My sword quivers and I sheath it.

_Damn it._

“Help me,” I command fiercely to my companions. “She still may yet live and I will not strike a foe while unconscious.” There is a code I can call upon, even in this blasted war without being considered a traitor.

We arrive back at our camp and the healers see to the worst of the many injuries the General carries. 

I find myself pacing outside the tent, furious with myself for not killing the powerful woman when I had the chance. 

Furious at Lord Viren for putting me in this precarious position and mostly ready to kill the man for nearly killing such a great warrior in such a terrible way. She deserves to die in the heat of battle not with a shattered back slowly dying like some crippled old woman.

My dark hands make fists when the healers finally step out.

“She will live, Janai,” says one of them, a male that I trust with my own life. “She needs to rest.”

“I will let her, but I will be there when she wakes,” I say and walk into the tent without a word of argument. 

The woman, who has plagued my dreams for months, lies in the healer's bed. She seems smaller now, but her arms are muscular and thick from years of fighting. There are other mysterious scars: one on her shoulder, some on her arms and hands. They seem to sparkle in the firelight.

I have to look away, because I cannot even fathom the strange feelings that well up within me.

For what? A human. A disgusted noise forces its way out of me as I remove my armor and slide it by the fire, before plopping in the healer’s seat to wait for the inevitable.

_What was I thinking? ___

____

***  
_We face off in the Breach, General Amaya opposite of me without a weapon and me with the powerful sun-forged blade. She cockily slides her shield onto her back, snuggly smiles and beckons me forward._

A groan snaps me awake. I hear her shift, and quickly she stills as if she is ready for battle even though she clearly is not. Rising to my feet, I feel my sore muscles from resting in the chair most of the night. 

Grumpily, I stir the fire so the woman can see clearly and light a candle, before approaching her bedside.

General Amaya glares at me as she tries to sit up, but grimaces in pain without so much as making a noise. It is strange. The woman should be in terrible pain with broken bones and who knows what's happening inside of her.

“Don’t move. You are injured. I found you on a ledge dying…” I say and hear the coldness in my own voice. Good, I’m trying to let the woman know how precarious her situation is.

Her hands flutter in movements I have only seen among the deaf elves. But that can’t be right… 

“Do you have nothing to say for yourself?” The hands move again and then she looks annoyed, points to her throat and ears and shakes her head.

_Damn it._

The woman is deaf. I’ve been defeated twice now by a deaf and powerful woman.

Why did this fact make me like her even more? I’m supposed to hate her after all. I do hate her. She’s a human. Killer of my people, stealer, brutalizer, and rapist of our magical lands.

“Wait a moment,” I say, and leave to fetch the healers’ pad for writing with a stick of charcoal. Returning, I drop it on the blanket for General Amaya. She takes the charcoal in the hand that hasn’t been crushed. The other bound tightly to her chest.

~Why?~ she writes.

“Why what?” I demand sharply. “Why did I save you?” She nods. I let out a sharp breath. What could I tell her that was safe?

“I couldn’t let you die, unarmed and outside of battle, that seemed…beneath you,” I admit and it’s true enough. The memory of the shattered woman on the ledge, rends my heart in two. The fact, I even dare to carry these feelings for a human is something too dangerous to utter aloud.

The charcoal is moving again.

~What will you do with me?~

“I have two options,” I reply and look out the tent. Before I can start talking, the General snaps her fingers and makes me look at her. That’s right…I have to look at General Amaya when I speak so she can understand me clearly. “My people will want me to kill you in fair combat. If you kill me, you will be released.”

~But you? What do you want?~

“I would wish to release you,” I say, feeling old and helpless. It’s not something I like to feel. “You are not my prisoner.”

~Why?~ She underlines the first why twice rather than rewrite it.

“You need to rest,” I snap suddenly and start to back away, but General Amaya catches my wrist in a powerful grip that belies her weakness. I glare at her, but when she doesn’t release me I answer:

“Because…I believe we would be better allies than enemies, but it is your choice. It is always your choice, general.”

The hand releases me and I move back to the safety of the fire away from the warrior that is stirring so many feelings within me.

***  
The morning comes with food and I wake up still in the sick tent. I leave so that General Amaya can have some privacy with the healers. She is still unwell.

With my armor and gear in hand, I return to my own tent and for the first time in my life it feels empty.

Placing my armor carefully in the corner, I know I need to clean it and make sure it is in excellent condition, but I cannot. I know I should eat, but I am far from hungry. I should at least rest then, but I know my mind has only one thought and it seems focused on chasing the General Amaya.

Damn you, I think as I bury my face into my hands. She’s a human. An elf cannot love a human.

The healer, Johan, returns with a report finding me still in my mussed robes and looking a mess. What his opinion on this matter isn’t readily evident, rather he shares the report.

“The human will improve. She has crushed her arm, wrist, and hand, shattered her hip and knee and has severe bruises as well as cracked ribs and internal bleeding. With our healing magic and potions, I imagine her full recovery will last a few weeks, but she will have weakness in the knee.”

Damn, Lord Viren and his dark magic. The woman should have been able to defeat him.

Had her feelings for the man caused her to waiver?

“Does anyone sign? She’s deaf,” I say, seeking a solution to our communication problem.

“None that can communicate with her. There are no deaf elves in our camp and more so, none that can sign in her language.”

“What?”

“Humans and elves use different signs to communicate,” he says more than patiently. “They would not be able to understand each other. If I may be so bold to ask, what do you plan on doing with the general?”

“I haven’t decided yet, Johan,”I reply with a long sigh. “I do not wish to fight her any longer.”

“I fear you may not have a choice. The warriors all heard you make the call on the code. You may have spared her life for a few weeks, but you will have to fight her when she is ready and able and you will kill her.”

I nod. Johan sits next to me and it surprises me.

“If I may so bold, Commander, this isn’t like you,” he says. “I am your brother…after all. I’ve seen that look before…she is a human.” He says this quietly. I glare at him. “How bad is it?”

“Johan,” I snarl at him quietly. 

“It’s not like you to feel strongly for the enemy. Is it your respect for her?”

“She is a fierce warrior who matched me that is all,” I say. “That she is deaf on top of it and a general means nothing to me.”

“Liar,” he says with a slow smile. “You care for her.” I shudder at his words for they are true yet traitorous. “And what shall we do? You cannot kill the woman you care for, even if she is a general to the army of Katolis. I would not allow it.” I snort.

“You would not allow it? You could hardly stop me.” 

He takes my hand, his four fingers wrap perfectly in mine and I wonder as if my mind has wandered down this path in my dreams: How would a fifth finger fit in my hand?

“You are a great warrior, sister,” he says quietly. “You fight with honor and passion, but you are no murderer. If you face her in two weeks, it will still be murder. She will not be ready even if she can hold a blade.”

His words are like a cold icicle to my being. Logic and truth batter against the passions that rage to push me one way or the other.

“I don’t know what to do,” I whisper and he leans against me.

“We will find a way,” he says. “You must have a reason besides caring…you would not act without prudence or strategy.”

“…she was betrayed and what greater ally is there in a former general of Katolis?” I say and he blinks.

“The others will not see such logic,” he says. “They will only see the human.” My shoulders drop again. “Get ready and come visit her. You will need to learn sign language to communicate with her.”


	2. Together, not Together

I return to the small healer’s tent and see General Amaya staring up at the ceiling.

Plotting her escape? Thinking of someone she cares about? What if she loves someone and that man is in Katolis, but no human nor man seems strong enough to contain the General in my opinion.

I grab a chair and slide it over. She must have seen me, because she looks over at me with suspicious eyes.

I’ve changed, bathed, and drank a little. Her dark eyes rove over me carefully and I wonder what she sees. Enemy or possible ally.

“Teach me your language,” I say. “Tell me your name.” She writes on the paper the healers have left for her to communicate.

~Why?~ She writes this on a fresh sheet of paper.

“We will need to communicate if you plan to survive this ordeal,” I say to her. “I cannot get you out without your help.” Her eyes narrow again.

~I don’t understand.~

“You don’t need to. This is a matter of survival at this point,” I say. “Tell me your name.”

She moves her fingers. I mimic them and she nods. I do it again.

“Does that mean General Amaya?”

She writes: Amaya.

She adds general to her name in sign language. I copy that and it feels right. A movement over my shoulder and a few signs for her name.

“My name is Commander Janai.”

She taps with an open fist on her shoulder and then signs my name. I repeat this, again and again and then her name.

We work through basic phrases and vocabulary, moving on to verbs until Johan comes in with food.

“Learning much?” he asks.

I sign and speak, “This is my brother Johan.”

She gives me the word for Johan in her language. I repeat it.

“Johan, General Amaya.”

“A pleasure to finally meet you properly,” he says jovially and slides the food on my lap. There is enough for two. “I won’t interrupt.”

She signs: thank you for everything.

I repeat it to Johan and he actually blushes.

“No problem. It’s my job,” he says and ducks out. Placing the tray on the end table, I move to help her sit up.

Her blanket falls down. She’s in a breast band and by the sun…she is nothing but powerful muscles. She quickly brings the blanket up to cover those abs. I put the soup on her lap and dare to take a few bites myself from my own bowl.

She writes on the paper after she has taken a few bites herself.

~You are learning quickly. More quickly than most humans.~

“I have a photographic memory,” I tell her and wonder if I have given away something. “I have to learn things quickly and they stick with me. That’s the way I’ve always been.”

~Like turning into a lava berserker?~

I snort at those written words.

“Sign that and yes, you can imagine the terror I was as a little kid. It’s not exactly a common gift or curse as you may see it. You were wise to retreat.”

She actually smirks at me. I look down at my soup and wonder again at the strange feelings I am feeling toward this human. I shouldn’t be feeling this way. She taps my shoulder.

~What is it?~ She has signed this.

“Nothing,” I reply, both signing and speaking. Her eyes narrow when she doesn’t believe me. I shake my head. “I’m worried about you. My people will not let you live.”

She signs what I have said so I can learn the words and nods.

~You should not have rescued me.~

I stiffen at her words.

~You have put yourself in needless danger for your enemy.~

“They do not understand,” I snarl fiercely. “The world is changing. The human boy has returned the dragon prince.”

~The world does not change easily.~

“That does not mean it is right. It is not right that your black mage betrayed you. You must rise up again and rescue your young king. The one who saved the egg.”

She nods.

~Thank you for sparing my life at great risk to your own. Those boys are important to me.~

I nod, though I don’t understand why they’d be important to her other than they are the princes of her country.

“I will do all that I can to help you, because it is the right thing to do. For change to happen, there must be sacrifices. I can no longer justly fight in this war.” Her eyes meet mine as she signs what I’ve said.

~You speak dangerous words.~

“Then, so be it,” I say fiercely. “I can no longer stand by as the world turns.”

***  
As the days pass, I have to resume some of my former duties. I cannot be at her bedside all day like I wish I could, but in the long evenings when my people are weakest, I sit with her and we practice sign language.

I teach her a game of my people to pass the time with marble balls. It’s wonderfully strategic and she learns it quickly being the brilliant woman she is.

Every day, she gets better and better. She is able to sit up on her own. Dressed in one of our largest blue tunics and breeches. Johan had to rip the sleeves off because her biceps are too large to be contained in comparison to an elf's. Her thighs are constantly breaking the constraints of the breeches too and have been stitched up multiple times already with patches.

After a week, she is able to move to the seat next to the fire and eventually the last week, we are forced to talk about our plan.

“I say we leave the night before,” I say. “My people are clamoring for your death as I suspected. No matter what I say it will not cool their rage against every slight they have perceived from you personally.”

~That is understandable. We have fought for years at the Breach. You have killed my men and I have killed yours. How many of those were not friends? Family? Siblings?~

Her face is soft in the firelight and I can see hint of regret under the hard steel of her expression.

“But…how can there be peace with so much hatred?” I ask of her. She shakes her head.

~I use to think peace was wrought on the end of a blade. After years of battles, I know it only creates more pain. I do not have an answer, Janai. I am what I am.~

“And so am I,” I suppose, but she reaches across the game when my eyes drop away and she takes my arm in her strong hand.

~I do not believe that anymore. You are something else.~

“What am I?”

~Hope.~

My heart stirs at that and my brother enters again. 

He sits down crosslegged breaking the moment between us.

“Well,” he says and signs a few words himself now. “What’s the plan? You’re not leaving me out.”

“It’s too dangerous,” I say to him. Amaya—when did I start thinking of her as just Amaya? General Amaya looks between us.

“You aren’t leaving me behind and you will need a healer with the trouble you two apparently get into,” he says. “Dark mages, human princes and kings, and dragons? This can only spell trouble.”

~It does and neither of you should come with me.~

“I am dead if you escape,” I say. “The price of the code must be paid.”

~If I escape on my own without anyone knowing?~

“I fear that is impossible in your current condition. Even in a week, it will be obvious your trampling through the woods with that leg. You will be easy to track.”

~Then I am a hinderance to both of you. I will not risk three lives when one life is in danger.~

By the sun, she is so honorable. I squeeze the bridge of my nose.

“Enough, I will carry you if I must,” I snarl. “I spared your life and your life is mine in the meantime. You are under my protection until…”

~…until? What? You owe me nothing, elf~.

The words hurt and I withdraw into myself.

~Your ideals will mean nothing if you are dead, Janai.~

“End of discussion,” I say. “We’re leaving. All of us. I got us into this mess. I’ll figure a way out.”

“Sister,” Johan says softly.

“I can’t stop you from coming, Johan, but you will be turning your back on your people,” I say to him. “We can’t come back from this.”

“I go where you go,” he says. “I love you.”

I can’t meet his eyes again. 

~I cannot allow you do this.~

Stubborn woman.

“You will not stop my sister. Her passion has led her to guard the Breach with her life time and time again. Her strength and sheer stubbornness is legendary among the Sunfire elves. She will be a great loss to them, but an even greater ally to you and your King,” Johan says. “I would not kick a gift horse in the mouth.”

This shuts her up as she thinks about the possibility.

Had I thrown my life to the King of Katolis? The king who had saved the dragon? Yes, I suppose I had. This is what it's truly about, perhaps not entirely about running off with the human I so care about. I look at her and she finally nods.

~We will need great allies to change the world.~

“I am such,” I say. “I will endeavor to prove myself.” I place my fist over my chest.

~You already have. My life spared once in such circumstances is enough. I am no fool.~

I swallow. What have I got myself into?


	3. Against All Reason

A week later, General Amaya has wrapped herself around my back. My arms hold her powerful legs to my waist and everything about her is strong and warm in the chilly night air.

My brother carries her armor, shield and sword. Though I know he would never use her sword. He made an oath long ago that he would never take a life, no matter whose life that was.

We move as quickly as I can. General Amaya insists that the best thing to do is meet up with Prince Callum and Rayla, a Moon Shadow elf. They are over in the dragon's providence with the Dragon Prince.

We stop as day is breaking and hide in a cave. Johan feeds us rations and I collapse against the wall. 

~Are you okay?~ She signs to me concerned. I nod and wave aside her concern.

“Just tired,” I assure her, not sharing that I carried her through the night, during my weakest state.

“She pushed herself,” Johan says and gives me something to shore up my strength in the form of a potion. “We are weakest at night.” I kick him in the shin for saying such a daft thing. 

She grimaces when she squats down. Her knee obviously bothering her.

~That was foolish.~

“Foolish?” I demand. “My people are not idiots. They will track us. Hopefully, they think we’d rather risk the Breach and return to your people than go farther into Xadia. It’s crazy.”

She plops down beside me, arm pressing against mine. I look at her and she looks at me.

~I don’t understand elves.~

She’s obviously annoyed and I chuckle at that.

~Not funny.~

“Well, I’m glad you realize you know absolutely shite about my people,” I say to her and she shrugs.

~I am what I am, Janai.~

“Horse shit,” I tell her and she lifts an eyebrow. Now, it’s her turn to smirk at me.

~And what shall we become?~

I don’t have words for that.

~You need to rest. You’re tired. Will the berry drink be enough?~

“Yes,” Johan says. “It will be. Help me make this camp more defensible.”

She rises to her feet and I curl on the ground, waking only when a blanket is wrapped around me. I look up to see Amaya and blearily say something like, “I dreamt of you.”

~Go back to sleep.~

I do.

We move on once, I’ve slept enough to satisfy my brother. Amaya walks herself this time using a wooden staff my brother carved from a stick for her. Now she also wears her shield and sword, but hasn’t put on her full armor as my brother is concerned about her knee.

I hear them immediately, the snap of a twig and I’m instantly moving, throwing myself in front of my brother as Amaya backs toward us shield up. 

An arrow shoots toward Amaya from the opposite direction, and I know she can’t hear it as a warrior attacks her from the front.

I take one valuable second to shove my brother away and then, I’m out of time. All I can do is take the arrow.

It grazes my shoulder, blood splatters and I roar, forced to attack the small clutch of warriors. They flee when they realize the General and I are too much of fight even injured.

I rest, kneeling on the ground, head pressing against my forearm as my vision swims.

General Amaya draws closer, ripping off a strip of her long blue tunic at the hem. By the sun, I can see her abs through fabric it is so tight.

~You shouldn’t have done that. I can handle one arrow.~

“No armor,” I murmur. She draws my chin upward and her cool fingers put out the heat of my skin, sending chills through me. “You wear no armor," I repeat and sign for her with my free arm.

She wraps the binding on my arm. It’s enough until we move some place safe and she lifts me with incredible strength despite her own injuries.

For a moment, we walk together to my brother who offers a potion for strength and I’m able to step away from the woman.

This time she leads us into the wilderness. We walk for a quarter of the day and seek shelter in a hidden bluff. She is careful of our tracks and I’m impressed by her knowledge.

She returns to find me and I am shirtless this time in the rain and she quickly works to create a lean to shelter and expand our tent so Johan can work on my arm without the constant annoyance of rain water. I imagine she wants to start a fire too to beat out the chill.

Briefly, she pauses to watch him work and I swear…

Is she looking at my arm? I flex it a little and my own abs. She shakes her head, cheeks flushing a little as she moves to the tent and I think…well that is interesting.

My brother doesn’t find it as interesting since he smacks my arm, not where the arrow grazed me, but lower.

“Don’t do that,” he says. His attention is broken from his work, sewing the wound closed. He looks up at General Amaya. “Did you impress her?” He whispers as if she can hear him.

“Stop at once. She can read lips.”

I quickly look up, but she shows no sign of seeing. I drop my head and this time it’s my turn to blush. 

He wraps the wound and tells me he’s going to find some herbs, throwing up his hood.

“Be careful!” I call and he waves.

General Amaya is content to work on the tent and I rise to help her, but she waves me back down to the ground.

~You should rest. I’ll take first watch.~

“It’s raining. They won’t attack while it’s raining. It blocks the sun,” I say and she nods, clearly annoyed she didn’t know this. She finishes what she is doing.

~I will try to find dry wood…~

“Bring whatever wood. I can dry it myself,” I say and wiggle my four fingers. She tilts her head and obeys.

In moments, we have a warm, crackling fire and she is forced to finally relax.

~Janai.~

“Yes, General Amaya?” I say amused.

She looks trouble as if she is working out a particularly difficult riddle.

~Thank you for saving my life again.~

I don’t know what to say. Why do I keep risking my life for this woman?

She shifts closer to the fire and conversely closer to me. I watch those thighs stretch the pants and watch as she positions her bad knee toward the fire.

~Can you explain why you keep risking your life for a human?~

“No, nothing will make sense to you,” I say.

~Is it some elvish code?~

“No, it’s much more terrible than that,” I admit to myself and to the human next to me. She looks up at me and her eyes narrow. “I may consider you a friend at this point. I don’t know how I got here.”

~I know…I consider you a friend too. I don’t understand.~

“There are few women who can understand what it has been to fight at the Breach, to be a leader…to fight against the enemy so long you forget the reason you are fighting…”

~Or to walk a new path. Janai, what spells are you casting upon me? Is this elvish magic? Are you making me feel this way?~

Her cheeks are red.

“What way?” I ask her. She shakes her head.

~I’ve never heard of elves seducing humans, but you have seduced me with some bewitchery.~

I snort at that.

“Like we suck blood? Have you even seen us suck blood in the last three weeks?”

~It doesn’t mean you don’t and I have never felt this way toward an elf!~

“Toward a woman?” I ask. Meeting my eyes, she quickly looks away. Yes, she has lain with a woman. “I didn’t seduce you. Unless teaching you a strategy game and learning your language is seduction. In fact, I can accuse you of the same thing. What have you done besides be an incredible General killing my people like flies and trying to get yourself killed at every turn?”

~Is that why you saved me on the ledge? Because you felt something toward me.~

Fuck.

I stand up and move away from her. I hear her get up. Grabbing my arm, she rips me toward her. I realize with a start that I am taller than her, by a few inches. She looks up at me and we are way too close.

~Answer me, Janai.~

My cheeks flush.

“I didn’t mean to feel something,” I say morosely. “I’m sorry…”

She takes my face tentatively, stroking the yellow markings and staring at what I can only assume are strange colored eyes. I am a Sunfire elf with orange eyes and she is touching me with her cool fingers that send such terrible urges through me.

Her lips part and she pulls me the few inches down and kisses me slowly. I start to melt into that kiss, dare to flick my tongue across her lips and she tastes of the berry juice. She smells of the wood and rain and sweat.

Our kiss deepens and there is magic there, deep and wild and untold. Centuries old and forgotten like a rooted gnarled tree.

She pulls back, looking worried. Her cheeks flush.

“Did you find what you were seeking?” I ask her. She shakes her head.

~Only that I want you more.~

A harsh chuckle escapes my throat.

By the sun, I may love this woman. She turns away from me and I catch her arm. This time it’s my turn to rip her into my body roughly and kiss her hard, fiercely with all the passion a lava berserker like me can muster in throes of passion.

She rises to the occasion, returning the heated kiss with steady passion, and smacks my chest hard and presses those strong hands against the slick skin of my shoulders.

~This can’t work.~ 

She signs to me when we part, gasping for breath.

~We cannot be together!~

There are tears in her eyes, but she doesn’t cry them.

“Fuck the world,” I say. “We’ll find a way. I’ll find a way.” 

~You will get us both killed…and I am yet beholden to you twice now.

“I don’t care, Amaya. I—I love you.” This stops her short and she stares up at me. I can feel her trembling against me and all I want to do is protect her, but she doesn’t need protecting. She is my equal in every way.

~I love you too, you fool. Against all reason, Janai.~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little diddy I wrote after binge watching The Dragon Prince and fangirling over Amaya. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> P.S. I've never written a deaf character. I have unilateral hearing loss, so if anyone has experience please let me know if this okay and yes, it's a huge stretch of the imagination that Janai learned American Sign Language in a few weeks, but let's pretend it's some sort of magical language gifting since it's a short story.


End file.
